Zyhir Hope’s Early Returns Thrill Dodgers
Rarely can both sides look back at a trade with some satisfaction.
Last January, the Dodgers traded reliever Yency Almonte and blocked prospect Michael Busch to the Cubs for two low-level prospects Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope.
Almonte didn’t pitch much before an injury ended his season, but Busch established himself as the Cubs’ everyday first baseman and hit 21 home runs as a rookie.
The Dodgers are certainly thrilled with their return. The lefthander Ferris pitched his way to Double-A as a 20-year-old, while Hope emerged as one of the system’s top position prospects.
The 19-year-old outfielder got off to a hot start with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga but was sidelined by a shoulder injury at the end of April and didn’t play again until July. The lefthanded batter hit .287/.415/.490 with nine home runs and eight stolen bases in 54 California League games.
“He has a great swing,” Dodgers farm director Will Rhymes said. “One of the things we loved about him out of the draft and in the trade was his swing. He hits the ball really hard. He’s probably in the 100th percentile.
“He hits with power for his age. He controls the strike zone really well. He’s hitting for hard contact, getting on base and has made multiple really nice plays out there, playing all three outfield positions.”
Hope demonstrated his high-end exit velocity in the Arizona Fall League, where he racked up four home runs, three doubles and a triple through 20 games. One of his home runs left his bat with an exit velocity near 111 mph and traveled 470 feet, the longest homer of the AFL season.
The Cubs drafted Hope in the 11th round in 2023 out of high school in Stafford, Va.
“He’s really physical for his age. Just a really good athlete, really strong,” Rhymes said.
“A lot of what makes us so excited about Zyhir is his positivity and his attitude and his personality. He’s just one of those people who makes everyone around him happy and better—which is a good thing.”
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
— Triple-A Oklahoma City announced its nickname for 2025: the Comets. The new name pays homage to Oklahoma native Mickey Mantle, known as the Commerce Comet.
— The OKC franchise will have a new manager in 2025. Scott Barbary managed the team from 2019 through 2023, winning the Pacific Coast League championship in 2023. He is moving into a roving instructor role for the Dodgers. Scott Hennessey will manage the Comets in 2025. He has been in the Dodgers’ system since 2007 and managed Double-A Tulsa since 2017.
